1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to specialty clothing for hunters, fisherman and other outdoorsmen and more particularly, to durable and practical dual function top outwear garment (configured as a shirt or jacket) that has the attributes of a breathable garment beneath the chest (where waders, bibs or overalls are worn) and the insulating attributes of a coat above the chest (where waders do not extend).
2. Description of the Background
Hunters, fisherman and other outdoorsmen typically wear special purpose camouflaged clothing so that they blend in with their surroundings, thus being obscured from the vision of their prey. The prior art is replete with such clothing, including jump-suits, vests, jackets, and the like, all particularly designed for outdoor sports such as hunting.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,882,786 to Gross shows a hunting jacket that incorporates an arm support for carrying a gun. The jacket includes various pockets and a gun pad on the front, and a sling-type forearm support on the inside of the jacket.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,291 to Garvey shows a hunting vest with reversible flaps on the front and the back. Each flap is detachable with a camouflage color on one side and hunter's orange on the other side so that the hunter can display each side interchangeably. The front flap folds over pockets for protection of the contents.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,337,101 to Tombari shows a hunting vest with outside pockets for storage of shells, cartridges and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,000 to Ost et al. shows a multi compartment, modular jacket including a vest with a vest front panel, a vest rear panel, a pair of armholes and a fastener for opening the vest. A plurality of pockets cover the outer surface of the vest. The vest has detachable sleeves, an inner and outer jacket and a plurality of pockets.
Cold-weather waterfowl hunting (ducks, geese and the like) and fishing in particular present a most difficult environment (these types of sport often take place in standing water that may at times be up to 50″ deep, in diverse climate conditions). In such conditions the sportsman typically wears chest waders. Such waders are waterproof neoprene or other fabric, extend to the chest, and are supported there by suspenders. These waders are often heavily insulated. Thus, when a sportsman wears a conventional waist-length insulated coat atop chest waders, he or she suffers in two ways. First, most outdoor sportsman's coats have a water/windproof laminate or layer that inhibits breathability by a factor of 10-15 times. When worn under a non-breathable pair of waders the result can be suffocating, producing sweats, and the wearer suffers. Second, the double insulation running from the bottom of the coat to the top of the waders results in an area of extreme heat. There is a very noticeable contrast to the area above the waders which is insulated only by the coat, and is generally 10-20 degrees cooler. This contrast is very uncomfortable. Third, the doubly-insulated area is extremely bulky and greatly limits the sportsman's range of motion for firing or casting. None of the above-mentioned or any other known prior art offers a dual function top garment specifically designed for cold-weather fishing and waterfowl hunting, which functions as an insulated coat above the chest wader and as a breathable layering outer garment beneath the chest wader, to equalize the thermal conditions experienced by the sportsman and to improve the range of motion for more adept hunting and fishing.
It would be greatly advantageous to provide warm, waterproof and windproof, practical, durable, and rugged outerwear specifically designed to be worn with waders (or bibs and/or overalls) while participating in hunting waterfowl, fly-fishing or other outdoor sports. More specifically, it would be advantageous to provide a shirt and/or jacket having a top portion, that extends above the sternum, formed as an insulating layer like a coat (for upper body warmth) and a bottom portion, from the sternum to the waist, formed as a breathable layer (with no laminate) which is worn beneath the waders and equalizes the thermal conditions experienced by the wearer despite the waders, and to improve the range of motion for more adept hunting, fishing, etc. The upper portion of the jacket (above the chest wader, which extends from the sternum upwards) must be warm, waterproof and windproof to protect the sportsman from the environment, and of a design to allow it to blend in with the environment. The bottom portion of the jacket (beneath the chest wader, extending downwards from the sternum) must be of a breathable un-bulky fabric that provides comfort when worn underneath the waders.
It would also be advantageous to provide an optional array of pockets placed specially on the top garment above the bottom portion to allow use in waist-deep or higher water, as well as special magnetic closures to provide quick and easy access thereto (for secure yet readily-accessible storage above the chest waders, bibs or overall tops).